Students from Cochrane High School’s Sustainable Development Committee gave an impassioned presentation, Nov. 15. The presentation was made to Rocky View School Board in an attempt to sway members into seeing the benefits behind a proposed wind turbine project that would produce wind-powered electricity for the school.
The project, which the students are hoping to build on school property within the next few years, has been eliciting resistance among Cochrane residents concerned over the potential health risks and appearance of the five-kilowatt turbine.
During the hour-long presentation, students addressed the major issues regarding the project including the impact it would have on local wildlife and the amount of noise it would emit when fully functional.
“This turbine would actually have one of the lowest hums for a five-kilowatt turbine,” explained Cochrane High School science teacher Stephanie Bennett. “There is actually no gear box within the turbine, which will add to the decreased noise intensity. It is also a quieter upwind turbine, which simply means that the wind hits the blades first and then the tower, as opposed to a traditional downwind version that can be much louder.”
The project is required to meet all municipal noise bylaws, Bennett encouraged school trustees to consider the fact there is no known link between the level of noise turbulence the turbine will give off and any health-related problems.
“The level of noise from this turbine is very minimal,” she noted. “It is going to be built far enough away from residential properties that there will be no sound issues for any residents. This is really a matter of public annoyance rather than facts. We have done a great deal of research and all the worry that people have is truly unfounded.”
With the nearest neighbour situated 130 metres away from the designated site, the students also presented the fact that unlike large-scale utility turbines, the Evance R9000 will not create any weather-related hazards such as large ice throws.
These ice build-ups, which form on the blades of the turbine, can become dislodged during high wind and be thrown from the structure resulting in potential injury to people and property.
“There has been over 2.5 million hours of field testing under harsh conditions done on this turbine,” said Grade 10 student Kurtis Rabel. “And in all that testing not a single incident of ‘ice throws’ were reported.”
Though trustees were receptive to the points and research the students presented, they said there were still many questions to be answered.
“There is a great deal about this proposed turbine that we need to take into consideration, but there is no doubt that these students are taking the idea of authentic learning to the next level,” said Trustee Helen Clease.
“They are passionate about the topic and are here to discuss it because it matters to them. If I was in a position to hire any of them based on their research skills and project background, I would do it in a minute.”
The Sustainable Development Committee is optimistic about the future of their proposal but it needs to obtain approval from the Rocky View School Board, the Town of Cochrane and Alberta Utilities in order for the project to go forward.
“The opposition these kids have met has only made them more determined to get this project done,” explained Bennett. “It has shown them that even though they may come across obstacles, they can persevere and overcome them, especially when you feel strong and passionate about the topic you are defending.”
Trustee Sylvia Eggerer was impressed with the students’’ work.
“Obviously, there has been a lot of work that has gone into this, but I still think we need to look at other similar studies to determine if there are any potential risks to the public,” she said.
“I think it's a great idea and I'm impressed with these students, but we need to learn more.”
The board of trustees accepted the presentation for information.
